AMSAT Challenge

OSCAR Designer, Builders and Those that Want To;
I am just completing a paper for the AMSAT-NA Symposium in October entitled
"Nanosatellite Program - A Challenge to AMSAT for Collaboration to Use the
Amateur Bands". I realized that by the time this paper is presented and
published it will be too late for AMSAT members to take advantage of the
opportunity suggested in the paper.
So ----- here is the deal.
AFOSR and DARPA have an announcement of opportunity that is soliciting
proposals from university teams to build ten nanosatellites. This ten page
proposal is due September 30,1998. They will provide $100k for each university
to build a nanosat starting October 1, 1998 and be ready for launch by the end
of 2000. They are presently proposing using the SHELS system on the space
shuttle for launching the nanosatellites.
Now is the time for AMSAT members to support your favorite university and help
them build a nanosatellite that could be the forerunner of some exciting future
OSCAR satellites. The P3D work is winding down now, what is the next
project? I am sure it must be a Low-Cost project for members to be
interested.
Here is the URL
http://web.fie.com/htdoc/fed/afr/afo/any/text/any/afrba986.htm
There are only 25 schools presently getting information about this program or
who have shown interest. Most of these are the big name schools in the space
bushiness.
Where are all of the other universities that would like to do this but need
AMSAT help?
Contact your favorite university, help form a consortium, get the proposal
written and give these other universities that are in the game now some
competition.
Having students build microsatellites at a university is SUPER fun and
EDUCATIONAL project for both the students and mentors.
Regard,
Bob Twiggs - at one of those universities that is already in the game. See our
web site.
aa.stanford.edu/~ssdl
----
Via the amsat-bb mailing list at AMSAT.ORG courtesy of AMSAT-NA.
To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe amsat-bb" to Majordomo@amsat.org